It's ok, we got Barron and Ajit on it, they're geniuses at the cyber.
In all seriousness, my research following the DDOS/astro-turfing campaign led me to at least some of the astro-turfing being the result of efforts by the Center for Individual Freedom[0] a far right-wing political operation masquerading as a non-profit.
There's an entire shadowy layer of questionable "public advocacy" groups out there tied to unquestionably partisan organizations. And sometimes even the political parties themselves.
The Center for Individual Freedom for example has received monies from Crossroads GPS[1], which is Karl Rove's umbrella organization for disbursing funds raised nationally to further the extreme agenda of the American right-wing and its financial backers, whether that be Putin or the Kochs.
In all seriousness, my research following the DDOS/astro-turfing campaign led me to at least some of the astro-turfing being the result of efforts by the Center for Individual Freedom[0] a far right-wing political operation masquerading as a non-profit.
There's an entire shadowy layer of questionable "public advocacy" groups out there tied to unquestionably partisan organizations. And sometimes even the political parties themselves.
The Center for Individual Freedom for example has received monies from Crossroads GPS[1], which is Karl Rove's umbrella organization for disbursing funds raised nationally to further the extreme agenda of the American right-wing and its financial backers, whether that be Putin or the Kochs.
[0]://cfif.org
[1]://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/04/karl-rove-crossroads-gps-center-individual-freedom/